Bengaluru: Amid renewed speculation over his resignation and persistent opposition demands for his removal from the Cabinet over the alleged Valmiki scam, Karnataka Minister B Nagendra on Friday said he would meet Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and address the issue at a press conference.
Nagendra, who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport here from New Delhi, said no decision had been taken yet and indicated that he would discuss the matter in detail with the Chief Minister.
“I will discuss it with the Chief Minister and speak to him in detail. If a situation arises where my actions cause embarrassment to the party, then I will… This is all being done as part of a conspiracy, including the launch of the padayatra,” he said.
Asked about the speculation, Nagendra said, “I am going to meet the Chief Minister now, and I will also hold a press conference.”
His remarks came amid heightened political pressure on him and the Congress government over the Valmiki Corporation case.
The BJP and JD(S) have been demanding Nagendra’s resignation since his re-induction into the Cabinet on August 3, alleging that he was linked to the alleged diversion of funds from the state-run corporation.
The opposition staged repeated protests inside and outside the legislature during the recent monsoon session, which was curtailed by three days and adjourned sine die on August 24 amid the continued uproar.
The two parties have also planned a foot march from Raichur to Ballari demanding Nagendra’s resignation from September 1 to 10.
The controversy dates back to May 2024, when P Chandrasekharan, then an accounts superintendent with the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, died by suicide and left a six-page note alleging irregularities and unauthorised transfers of corporation funds.
Subsequent investigations found that Rs 89.63 crore had been transferred from a corporation account to a Union Bank of India account and subsequently moved to multiple other accounts, triggering a major political controversy.
Nagendra, who was Tribal Welfare Minister when the controversy surfaced, had resigned from the Cabinet in June 2024.
He was re-inducted on August 3, 2026, with the Planning and Statistics portfolio, prompting the Opposition to revive its demand for his removal.
Nagendra has previously rejected reports that he would resign and maintained that the allegations against him were “politically motivated”.
He said he has to gear up to take on ‘Manuvadis’. Manuvadi is an apparent reference to BJP.
